> I can give my money to excellent artists directly No, you can't, or at least not to any artist. Although I wholeheartedly support the idea of paying direct

> I can give my money to excellent artists directly No, you can't, or at least not to any artist. Although I wholeheartedly support the idea of paying directly to the artist and even commissioning specific pieces, many "blue chips" are selling only via galleries/dealers to ditch management and bargaining and keep prices consistent.